The Sister Joan Curtin, CND Magnificat Award
The Magnificat is a canticle which was proclaimed by Mary when she visited her ncousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation. We know this event as the Visitation.
The Department of Youth Faith Formation is pleased to announce a new award created to honor a woman of God, whom we all know and love, and who is a woman of visitation. The award will be known as The Sister Joan Curtin CND Magnificat Award
Each year we will present The Sister Joan Curtin, CND Magnificat Award to a Director of Religious Education or Coordinator of Religious Education within the NY Archdiocese who has shown the exceptional passion and dedication to our ministries in the manner of Sr. Joan.
This person will have served as a dedicated and collaborative leader, one who is wise, faithful to the teachings of the Church and dedicated to high standards of faith formation.
Like Sr. Joan, the awardee will be selflessly dedicated to the faith life of those entrusted to him/her, and will demonstrate creativity, leadership and inclusion. The requirements to be considered for the award will include an educational background in theology and/or faith formation, experience in working with members of the parish and the Archdiocesan community. We are delighted to announce that the first recipient of this award will be Sr. Joan Curtin, CND, herself.
Sr. Joan’s religious community is the Congregation of Notre Dame. The charism of this community calls the sisters to live in the spirit of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.
What exactly is a Charism?
One of the ways the Holy Spirit is outpoured upon the Church is through Charisms. When a person has a charism, supernatural grace is given to lead others to experience the healing power of Jesus' love. The charisms are associated with specific activities of service that build up the Body of Christ.
Sr. Joan has been extraordinarily faithful to the charism of her community – to witness to, share and to spread the Good News – to be Christ bearers to others – to evidence the love of God through the loving care and concern for the needs of all those they come in contact with. Is this not what Sr. Joan has taught us – that Directors, Coordinators and catechists of Religious Education are called to do as well? Serving this call, Sr. Joan has been a beacon of hope and encouragement as well as living the motto of the Catechetical office, “Teaching the Faith with Excellence.”
And so, Sr. Joan, on behalf of the Department of Youth Faith Formation, we are blessed to have been given the gift of your presence and example in our lives and are honored to present to you the first Sr. Joan Curtin, CND Magnificat Award.